Expression indicator for piano accordions



March 1932- A. SEBASTIANELLI EXPRESSION INDICATOR FOR PIANO ACCORDIONS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 14, 1931 "z; 26 3a flngezo Seasiianalli Patented Mar. 15, 1932 AN GELO SEBASTIAN ELLI, F SCRAN TON, PENNSYLVANIA nxransslonrnmcaron son PIANO ACCORDIONS,

Application filed May 14,

This invention relates to piano accordions, and more particularly to an indicator through the medium of which a player of an instrument of this character may, without soundingthe instrument, ascertain whether it is set for playing loud or soft. I

The'invention has for one of its objects to provide an indicator of the character stated which shall embody a member bearing the initial letters of the words fort-issimo and piano and mounted below an opening in the top of a piano accordion" for movement to effeet the registration of its letter Flwith said opening when the instrument is set to play loud and toeffect the registration of its letter P with said opening when the instrument is set to play soft.

The invention has for a further object to provide an indicator of the character stated which shall embody means for connecting the letter bearing member to the actuating mechanism for the expression controlling shutters of the instrument, to the endthat the letter bearing member will be moved to eifect the registration of its letter F with the opening in the top of the instrument when the shutters are actuated to set the instru ment to play loud, and to the end that the 'letter bearing member will be moved to effect, theiregistration of its letter P with said opening when the shutters are actuated to set the instrument to play soft.

The invention is'hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein o Figure 1 is a top plan view illustrat ng the application of the indicator to the piano accordion.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on the planeindicated by the line 3+3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a detail plan view of the letter bearing member of the indicator.

Figure 6 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2 illustrating a slightly modified form of the indicator, and s -Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the 19.31. Serial 1%. 537,427.

plane indicated by the line 77 of Figure 6.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 designates the top of the keyboard section of a piano accordion. 2 designates the keyboard, and 3'the expression controlling shut ters of the registers of the instrument. The shutters 3 are moved in one direction to set the instrument to play loud and moved in the opposite direction to set the instrument to play soft, and they areactuated through the medium of means which, as shown in Fig ures 2, 3 and 4, comprises a shaft 4 rockably mounted, as at 5, within the instrument in close parallel relation to the top 1. a The shaft 4 is provided with pins 6 whic are right angularly related thereto and which engage-the shutters 3 to establish an operative connection between the shaft and shutters. The'shaft 4 is also provided with a crank arm 7,-and pivotally connected,as at 8, to the crank 7 arm is a rod 9 which in turn is connected to a key 10' located at the outer end of the keyboard 2. As all parts referred to are of well known construction, it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate or describe the means for connecting the rod 9 to the key 10, it being consideredsufiicient to state that this means is suchthat when'the ke is actuated in one directionthe rod is shi ted to rock the shaft in a direction to move the shutters 3 into loud playing position and such that when the key is actuated in the opposite direction the rod is shifted to rock the shaft in a direction to move theshutters into soft playing posi- 111011." I

In accordance with my invention the top 1 isprovided with an opening 11, and is provided in the underside thereof with a trans verse recess 12 which is located immediately below the opening. A transparent panel 13 closes the opening 11, and a letter bearing member 14 is mounted in the recess 13. The letter bearing member 14 is of rectangular formation in plan and has applied-to the upper side thereof the initial letters of the words fortissimo and piano, as indicated at 15 and 16, respectively. The letter bearing member 14 is slidably mounted in the recess 12 so as to permit it to be moved to effect the registration of its letter 15' or its letter 16 with Lil the opening 11. \Vhen the instrument is set to play loud the letter bearing member 1 1 is moved to register its letter with the opening 11, and when the instrument is set to play soft the letter bearing member is moved to register its letter 16 with the opening.

The letter bearing member 14 is moved automatically by and as a result of the operation of the key 10, and to permit of this being done means are provided for connecting the letter bearing member to the shaft 4. This means comprises a lever 17 which is arranged in close parallel relation to the top 1 of the instrument and which is pivoted at one end, as at 18. The other end of the lever 17 is connected to the letter bearing member 1 1 by a pin 19 which extends downwardly from the member and which passes through a slot 20 in the lever. The lever 17 is connected to the shaft 4 by a pin 21 and a link 22. The pin 21 is fixedlto and extends at right angles from the shaft 1, and the link 22 has a loose connection with the pin and with the lever 17, the link being connected to the lever at a point between the ends of the lever and close to the pivoted end of the latter.

The connection between the shaft 41: and the letter bearing member 14 is such that, when the shaft is rocked by the actuation of the key 10 to move the shutters 3 into loud playing position, the letter bearing member will be moved in a direction to effect the registration of its letter F with the opening 11. This connection is also such that, when the shaft 4 is rocked by the actuation of the key 10 to move the shutters 3 into soft playing posi tion, the letter bearing member 14 will be moved in a direction to effect the registration of its letter P with the opening 11. It will. thus be understod that the actuation of the indicator is automatic, that it will, therefore, indicate at all times the position of the shutters 3,- and that as it is visible through an opening at the top of the instrument the player may by. merely glancing 1n the opening ascertain whether the instrument is set to play loud or soft.

The bearings 5 for the shaft 4 are carried by a strip 23 which is secured to and extends longitudinally of the underside of the top 1 of the instrument and which extends across the recess 12 and functions to slidably support the letter bearing member 14 in the recess.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figures 6 and 7, the letter bearing member, which is here designated 14a, is of elongated rectangular formation in plan, and is secured to the underside of the top 1 of the instrument by screws 24. The screws 24 support the letter bearing member 14a from the top 1 for slidable movement longitudinally of the top, to the end that when it is moved in one direction its letter 15 will register with the opening 11, and to the end that when it is moved in the opposite di' rection its letter 16 will register with the opening. The letter bearing member 14a is operated directly from the rod 9 of the shutter actuating mechanism, and to establish an operative connection between these parts a shaft 25 is rotatably supported, as at 26, within the instrument at right angles to the shaft 9 and parallel to the letter bearing member. The shaft 25 is connected to the letter bearing member 1 1a by an arm 27 which is carried by the shaft and which engages in an opening 28 in a bracket 29 secured to the underside of the letter bearing member. The shaft 25 is connected. to the rod 9 by an arm which carried by the shaft and engages between a pair of pins 31 carried by the rod. The connection between the rod 9 an d the letter carrying member 14a is such that. when the rod is shifted by the actuation of the key 10 to move the shutters 3 into loud playing position, the letter bearing member will be moved in a direction to effect the registration of its letter F with the opening 11.

This connection is also such that when the rod 9 shifted by the actuation of the key 10 move the shutters 3 into soft playing positlon, the letter bearing member 14a will be moved in a direction to effect the registration of its letter P with the opening 11. It will be understood that this form of the indicator is also automatic in its operation and will at all times indicate the position of the tone controlling shutters of the instrument.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be understood that both forms of the indicator are simple and highly efficient, that they may be manufactured at low cost and that they may be readily installed in any type of piano accordion for automatic operation by the mechanism for actuating the expression controlling shutters of the instru? ment.

\Vhile I have described the principle of the invention, together with the structure which I now consider the preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the structure shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a piano accordion, a transparent panel in a wall of the accordion, shutters operable to set the accordion to play loud or soft, a member bearing loud and soft indicating characters and operable to present one or the other of said characters in registration with the panel, and means for simultaneously operating the shutters and member to set the accordion to play loud or soft and register the loud or soft indicating character with the panel.

2. In a piano accordion, a transparent panel in a wall of the accordion, shutters operable to set the accordion to play loud or soft, a member bearing loud and soft indicating characters and slidably mounted on said wall to present one or the other of said characters in registration with the panel, and means for simultaneously operating the shutters and member to set the accordion to play loud or soft and register the loud or soft indicating character with the panel.

3. In a piano accordion, a transparent panel in a wall of the accordion, shutters operable to set the accordion to play loud or soft, a member bearing loud and soft indicating characters and operable to present one or the other of said characters in registration with the panel, means for operating the shutters and including a shiftable rod, and means connecting the member to the rod for operation thereby to present the loud indicating member in registration with the panel when the shutters are operated to set the-accordion to play loud and to present the soft indicating character in registration with the panel when the shutters are operated to set the accordion to play soft.

4. In a piano accordion, a transparent panel in a wall of the accordion, shutters operable to set the accordion to play loud or soft, a member bearing loud and soft indicating characters and mounted for sliding movement to present one or the other of said characters in registration with the panel, means for operating the shutters and including a rockable shaft, a lever pivoted at one end and connected at its other end to the member, an arm carried by the shaft, and a link connected to the arm and lever, the lever, link and arm connecting the member to the shaft for operation to present its loud indicating character in registration with the panel when the shutters are operated to set the accordion to play loud and to present its soft indicating character in registration with the panel when the shutters are operated to set the accordion to play soft.

5. In a piano accordion, a transparent panel in a wall of the accordion, shutters operable to set the accordion to play loud or soft, a member bearing loud and soft indicating characters and mounted for sliding move ment to' present one or the other ofsaid characters in registration with the panel, means for operating the shutters and including a shiftable rod, a rotatable shaft, and arms carried by the shaft and engaging the member and rod, the shaft and arms connecting the member to the rod for operation to present its loud indicating character in registration with the panel when the shutters are shifted to set the accordion to play loud and to present its soft indicating character in registration with the panel when the accordion is set to play soft.

6. In a piano accordion, a transparent panel in a wall of the accordion, shutters operable to set the accordion to play loud or soft, a member bearing loud and soft indicating characters and mounted for sliding movement to present one or the other of said characters in registration with the panel, means for operating the shutters and including a shiftable rod, a bracket carried by the member and provided with an opening, a rotatable shaft, an arm carried by the shaft and engaging in the opening of the bracket, and a second arm carried by the shaft and engaging the rod, the bracket, shaft and arms connecting the member to the rod to permit it to be operated to present its loud indicating character in registration with the panel when the shutters are operated to set the accordion to play loud and to present its soft indicating character in registration with the panel when the shutters are operated to set the accordion to play soft. V

7. In a piano accordion, a transparent panel in the top wall of the accordion, shutters operable to set the accordion to play loud or soft, a member bearing loud and soft indicating characters and operable to present one or the other of said characters in registration with the panel, and means for simultaneously operating the shutters and member to set the accordion to play loud or soft and register the loud and soft indicating characters with the panel.

8. In a piano accordion, means operable to 1 set the accordion to play loud or soft, and means operable simultaneously with said first means to visually indicate whether said first means has been operated to set the accordion to play loud or soft.

9. In a piano accordion, having a sight opening in a wall thereof, means operable to set the accordion to play loud or soft, a member bearing loud and soft indicating characters mounted for movement to present one of 110 the other of said characters in registration with said opening, and means for simultaneously operating said first means and member to set the accordion to play loud or soft and to register the loud or soft indicating charac- 115 ter with said opening.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature.

ANGELO SEBASTIANELLI. 

